Citra Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2011 Review (Product of Italy)

As a rule of thumb it’s not smart to buy the big bottle (1.5 L) of a wine if you haven’t tried it before. This bottle of Citra Montepulciano D’Abruzzo was on sale for only $8.99 however. It caught my eye because it was situated next to long time favorite Rex Goliath and a dollar cheaper (though different grapes).

I don’t drink to excess generally so the bottle was consumed over about a week. On day one it tasted medium bodied but more tart than desired. It smelled of alcohol but not wine. While not awful, immediate buyers remorse was felt all around. On day two, there were glimmers of hope. This product of Italy no longer smelled of alcohol. In a day the flavor mellowed to sippability (unclear if this a real word).

On day three, it peaked. Notes of cherry were very present. It went well with corn and cowpea succotash as well subsequent leftover Easter candy. On day 4, when the bottle came to an end, there were mixed emotions. Rarely do I have a bottle last 4 days. Should a wine peak on the 3rd day? Citra was a great value by volume but I’m not interested in a wine that requires a waiting period to fully enjoy. It wasn’t enough to steer me away from trying their merlot or other wines however.

Has anyone else kept an open bottle around for that long? What type and how did it taste over time? Any tips for consuming this type of wine – is it better with food?